How to Mend Fences With Mom on Mother's Day

Any family estrangement can be devastating, but when you and your mother are at odds, you may find that Mother's Day is the best time to offer one another the gift of forgiveness.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Mother's Day Greeting Cards
• Anger-management Counseling
• Apology Greeting Cards
• Blank Cards
• Personality Counseling
• Voice Mail Services
• Personalized Stationery
• Cellular Phones

1. Forget about finding fault or assigning blame for the rupture of the relationship.
2. Realize that no relationship is ever mended unless someone steps beyond the hurt and reaches out to the other party.
3. Resolve to take the first step. Send a thoughtful card with a personal message or call on the telephone.
4. Ask a mutual acquaintance or a family member who is not involved in the dispute to mediate.
5. Apologize for the breach in the relationship even if you feel you were wronged. Love between you and your mother outweighs pride.
6. Meet on neutral ground. Arrange lunch or dinner at a restaurant on Mother's Day.
7. Be open-minded and patient, even if things do not go well as you make the first steps toward reconciliation.
8. Avoid accusations or recriminations about old history.
9. Be patient. You may not be able to heal the relationship on your first try.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider calling for the first time when you know your mother is not home; leave a sincere message on her answering machine. That permits breaking the ice without a direct confrontation.
• Being right is not as important as being loved.